Courage is the key
by LadyPalma
Summary: Enchanted Forest - Neverland - Storybrooke. The two times Regina didn't meet Robin and the one time she finally did.


_**Courage is the key**_

* * *

**Enchanted Forest.**

"_I can be happy_"

The hope she had showed just a moment before in front of Tinkerbell seemed to have suddenly disappeared and those confident words she had said were repeating now in her head with less certainty, while she was observing her possible future behind the pane of the tavern. With a sudden twitch, she grabbed the handle opening the door, but in that gesture all her determination blew over and the smile that had still been on her lips, turned into an expression of endless sadness.

An unbearable fear penetrated her soul, a fear increased by the sight of the pixie dust around the man chosen by fate: what if it would have been an illusion and she wouldn't have liked him? What if instead she would have liked him too much and it really was her chance to love again? The memory of Daniel appeared in front of her eyes and she seemed almost breathless. She didn't want to be weak, she didn't want to be hurt by pain again; the problem wasn't that love was weakness, it was the part of pain in it that she couldn't stand.

"_Can I be happy?_"

The question resounded as an echo in her, a question which only entering that tavern she could have found an answer to, but it was an answer that she was realizing not to want anymore. A shiver crossed her body and before she could even realize that, she was already running away with the only company of her silent tears of anger.

And that was exactly the moment when Regina became the Evil Queen.

Because anger was now all the she really had.

Because in the end that's all the villains are: _coward_.

* * *

**Neverland.**

She leaned with the hands on the bark of the tree and stuck out to glance at the scene in front of her; she couldn't understand the words, but it was clear that the unusual group was having fun: Snow White, the Prince, Tinkerbell, Hook, Neal, Henry, the girl called Mulan… And then there was that man, _Robin Hood_.

"Ehy, is everything okay?"

The sound of that question at her back made her jump, and it was with a hand on her chest and an expression of almost terror that she quickly turned. The sight of Emma made her slightly relax and made also appear a smirk upon her face.

"Aren't you with your boyfriend?" she provoked in fact, taking some steps towards the other woman, not knowing herself if she was referring to Rumple's son or to the captain.

The blonde looked up to the sky and crossed her arms at her chest; the attempt of changing the subject clearly hadn't worked.

"What is your problem with Robin Hood?"

Regina shook her head and couldn't hold a brief joyless laugh: was it that obvious the strange reaction she had felt inside her when she had seen him, or better, when she had seen a part of him?

"I have no problem with him"

"Yes, of course… It's since we met him and Mulan here in Neverland that you have tried to evade him, I don't believe you have even talked to him"

Regina sighed and approached again the tree, falling seated with the back leaned on the bark.

"I have my reasons" she said in an annoyd tone, tryinh again to end the conversation.

"What did you do to him? You hurt him too, didn't you?"

"Yes I did" the brunette admitted "And he is my masterpiece of evil: it seems I destroyed his life when I haven't met him"

Emma kept quiet for a while, confused by that statement.

"And how is that possible?" she finally asked sincerely intrigued.

Regina looked up and an unusual expression of pure sadness seemed to have filled her eyes; a strange melancholy became known from her words, even if to the Savior they couldn't appear anything other than meaningless.

"Because he's the man with the lion tattoo"

* * *

**Storybrooke.**

Regina stared at him for a while; the two empty glasses in front of her and the sound of her fingertips upon the surface on the table in The Rabbit Hole, let grasp how much anxiety was giving her that vision. He was sitting in front of her, exactly as the first time she had seen him and, even if it had been thirty-six years since then, she was realizing not to have changed so much, since the terror that prevented her from approaching him had still the same intensity.

"So, what are you waiting for?"

The woman turned to the direction where the voice came from and couldn't hold a deep sigh finding Tinkerbell's figure, strangely in jeans and t-shirt, taking a seat beside her. She remained in silence for some moments, then she shook her head and, ignoring the question, she found herself making one of her own with a tone probably harsher than she would have wanted.

"And you… What are you doing here?"

The fairy simply smiled at that predictable at that burst of annoyance: she knew that all that anger would have finally disappeared and she was there for that reason.

"_This time_ it will be okay, Regina. _This time_ you'll meet Robin and _this time_ I'll be here to be sure you'll do it" she answered, taking her hand and hinting at the man.

Regina slightly startled at the unexpected contact but didn't back out of it; for a moment she turned back with her mind to the time when she had the chance to love again and also a true friend.

"Why are you so nice to me after all I've done?" the queen asked impulsively, astonished by that sign of affection.

"Because maybe I could have my wings back this way!" she exclaimed with a smirk "And most of all because all I wanted then and all I still want now is your happiness" added then seriously, letting go of the other woman's hand and almost pushing her to stand up from the chair.

The major of Storybrooke hinted a smile, feeling infected by that regained hope and finally moved. She walked slowly, with a thousand thoughts in her mind and a thousand feeling in her heart, turning every so often to Tinkerbell, who, with theatrical gestures, encouraged her in her purpose. A last determined step and the arrival at the counter marked the end of the Calvary.

"Good evening" she found herself saying, faking a confidence that clearly didn't have.

The man on her side left the drink he was sipping and turned completely to her with a surprised expression that turned almost immediately into a pleased smile.

"Good evening, Your Majesty. I was waiting for the moment you would have decided to direct some of your attention to me"

"_You_ were waiting for _me_?" Regina asked raising her eyebrows and giggling a bit.

But there wasn't any trace of mock on Robin's face, on the contrary the look he gave to her let understand how serious was that sentence. And Regina for an indeterminate time got literally lost in that look. At least until her eyes didn't fall upon his forearm.

"Why do you have that tattoo?" she asked in an impulse of pure curiosity.

The man followed the direction of her gaze and another smile crossed his lips at the sight of the lion.

"There was a King who I was extremely loyal to, Richard, called "The Lionheart" because of his courage… I believe courage is one of the most important quality, don't you think?"

And while he was letting her share in a part of his story, a finally sincere smile appeared on Regina's lips too hearing that short explanation.

Courage was the key, it has always been _courage_.


End file.
